Hello All!

Summer is approaching and with it comes the desire to get out and have some fun. However many people are staying home more for different reasons. One reason is lack of money. I won’t go on about that topic because we all know how the economy is today. However you can get out and have some fun and not have to spend much money. In some cases you do not have to spend money at all! Sounds nice, right! Here are some ideas that will help you get out of the house without having to spend a lot of  money.

- Visit a botanical garden. The one we visit, in Janesville, Wisconsin, is quite large, features a gorgeous pond with benches and decks,  a large koi pond, and to many varieties of flowers, trees, and shrubbery to name. I have been there many times and it is absolutely beautiful, as well as relaxing. Even my teenage son likes to go there. The cost is free. If you decide to visit a public garden bring a picnic lunch along, toss a ball or frisbee around with the family and make a day of it!

- If you decide you want to go to an amusement park this summer, many of the parks sell their admissions tickets through banks, credit unions, or local businesses for a discount. Investigate this option, it will save you alot of money. When you go bring along a picnic lunch, coolers of beverages and cold foods. When it is lunch or dinner time just go out to your vehicle. Bring along refillable water bottles to avoid the high beverage prices in the park, just refill your bottle for free.

- Check your local papers or city website for free or cheap entertainment. Our city has a water ski team that performs shows free to the public during  summer months. It is a lot of fun for the whole family.

- Living in southern Wisconsin we are surrounded by small towns. Many of these towns have parades, small festivals or carnivals during spring, summer and fall. This is an inexpensive way for the entire family to get out, mingle with people and have some fun. One family I know saves up soda cans all year and turns them in to the recycling center around mid-spring. They use this money for entertainment during the warmer months.

- Visit an apple orchard! Not only is the air fragrant with the smell of apples, it is also an educational experience for the kids, only they don’t know it! They can commune with nature, learn about the growing and processing to make apple cider and have fun doing it. It is free to get in and wander around and many of the orchards in this area have hay rides, gift shops and other entertainment. You can do a search for apple orchards in your area and see what they have to offer.

Please email your summer fun ideas and let everyone know how you and your family have fun and save money!

Thanks to All

The Domestic Goddess

These days the hot buzz words seem to be “go green” and “save money”. Usually these words go together like bees and honey; sometimes, though, saving money can hurt the environment. Take your common household cleaners. These are items we all have in our cupboards, we can spend as much or as little as we want. We can find a different cleaner for every surface of our home. But what about all the chemicals that make up these “wonderful” cleaners. Some of these chemicals are carcinogenic, cancer causing, have been found to cause reproductive problems in males, and end up in our soil and water suppy and can NEVER be removed. No, not even at the waste water treatment plant! For more information on this subject, and to find out more facts please read the book “The Big Green Purse” byDiane MacEachern. I just read it and this book really taught me alot and opened my eyes to just how badly we are hurting our planet and ourselves.

But don’t worry… all is not lost! We can help our wallets, help our planet, and help ourselves with these simple, easy to make household cleaners. You do not need to buy anything special, all of the following recipes use common, househ0ld ingredients most of us already have. If you do have to buy something, I can guarantee you spend  very little money.  So let’s get started!

Window Cleaner

This is so simple your going to smack your forehead. All you need to use is rubbing alcohol. We all seem to have that ever present bottle in our medicine cabinet. Just pour a small amount on your reuseable rag or paper towel and wipe your surface. For stubborn stains ( like kid stains or drips on a glass coffee table, for example) just pour a little bit directly on the spot, let sit a few minutes and wipe off. Alcohol works just as good as window cleaner and does not leave streaks.

Baking Soda

Make a paste and use as “soft scrub” cleanser. Use on tub, tiles, sinks, counter tops.  To make a paste pour a cup of baking soda in a reusable container with a lid, drip enough water to moisten and stir. This should be the consistency of toothpaste. Just use a rag or sponge and wipe on your surface, let sit about 30 seconds, scrub and wipe off. You will need to wipe off with a wet rag or sponge, just like you would commercial cleansers. Baking soda is a GREAT deordorizer also.

To eliminate odors from your drains: Pour a half a cup of baking soda down your drains, let sit 2 to 5 minutes, and follow with a sauce pan full of hot to boiling water.

For slightly slow sink/bathtub drains: pour a half of a cup of baking soda down the drain followed by a half a cup of vinegar, use white vinegar, cover drain. Let sit approximately 3 to 5 minutes depending on clog. Then pour down a large sauce pan of boiling water. For really clogged drains, after you do the above steps, plunge the drain. This has worked with almost every stubborn drain I have had. I did have to buy a commercial drain cleaner one time for an extremely stubborn hair clog (my hair).

Fabric softener: pour a half a cup of white vinegar into your rinse water when you do laundry. Softens clothes and does not leave an odor. Will not damage clothing.

Laundry detergent: you can search the internet, use the search term : homemade laundry detergent. If your budget won’t allow you to buy an all natural laundry detergent, or if your local grocery store does not carry one, use a “free and clear” laundry soap. No dyes or fragrances. The all natural laundry detergents are more expensive than regular brands, however I have used them for almost a year now and I can say that I use about half the amount of regular detergents. They also come in very pleasing scents and last longer because I use less. I typically use SeventhGeneration brand detergent or the store brand all natural version. I have severe skin allergies and have to be VERY careful what I use. There are many choices on the market now, so if your budget allows the extra expense (usually just a few extra dollars) try an all natural soap, you will probably be pleasantly surprised.

Please let me know how you save money on cleaning and laundry by emailing me with cleaning solutions in the subject!

Thank you and Good Wishes!

The Domestic Goddess

Tis the season! The warm weather is finally here. Gardening is not only a way to save money on vegetables, fruits and herbs; it is also a way to relax and enjoy nature. You can turn your gardening must-do’s into quality family time by getting the kids involved. Most children LOVE to play in the dirt, and get a kick out of mom or dad actually encouraging them to get dirty. I rent an upstairs apartment so I do not have any space here for a garden, however, I container garden here and plant a large garden at my grandmother’s home. I look forward to spring every year!

Here are a few tips and hints to help you save a little green this spring!

- When planting a large plant or transplanting into a large pot or planter, put empty, clean soda bottles on the bottom of the pot and then fill with soil. The small 12 oz or 20 oz bottles work well. This will reduce the amount of soil you will use and also reduce the weight of the pot for easier moving.

- Use a spray bottle of vinegar to kill weeds. Do not dilute. Spray vinegar directly on weeds being careful not to spray on any surrounding grass or plants. It will kill those,too. Not only will this save you alot of money on weed killer, it is also better for the environment as you are not using any harsh or toxic chemicals.

- reused and clean deli trays make great mini greenhouses. So do reused and clean aluminum  cake pans (the disposable kind) with the clear plastic lids.  This tip makes starting your plants from seed  much easier.

- When your child’s plastic pool needs to be emptied, have your kids (and their friends) grab a bucket and dump the pool water into your garden or on your plants. It makes sense to use this water because you would just be dumping it out into your yard anyway, might as well save some money! You won’t be using “new” water, adding money to your water bill.

- Ask your local county extension if they have a free mulch program. Several counties nationwide do. This will save you alot of money on your gardening budget. If your county does not have this program, call your local tree trimmers or the city and see if they will give you their mulch or sell it to you cheaply.

Please comment with your gardening tips! Leave your comment on the front page.

Here are some general hints and tips you can use in your own home to save money. Remember it is all the little things you do that add up to big savings. There are only so many ways that you can save a large sum of money fast.

- Cut out non essentials from your grocery list. For example, do you have to have soda? At least try a cheaper brand and remember that change takes time to get used to. Check the store brands at your grocery store. They are almost always cheaper and usually taste as good or better than the name brand.

- Turn off all lights when you leave the room. Unplug all gadgets and appliances where possible when not in use. Plug your computer and its accessories into a power strip. When not in use just flip the switch to off. Even when your *stuff* is off it is still drawing power, adding money to your power and light bill. Unplug your coffee pot if you don’t need to set it on a timer. I do this and use the clock on my microwave because I cannot unplug it. After your cell phone is charged, unplug the charger. Unplug lamps when not in use. You can also plug your t.v., vcr, dvd player into a power strip and just shut off the power strip when not in use.

- Use recycled or cloth shopping bags. This not only keeps plastic bags out of the landfill and reduces pollution but several stores now give you a discount, say 5 cents per bag, on your grocery bill for bringing your own bags. Two of my local grocery stores do this. If you frequently forget your bags at home when you go shopping, simply put them back in the car after you unload your purchases. I keep mine in my trunk. Call your local grocery stores to see if any of them have this discount.

- When I moved into my apartment I had to start from scratch. I had NOTHING. I was lucky in that my best friend and family were very generous and gave me all of their unwanted items, which furnished my apartment until I was able to buy improvements or replacements and the items that I wanted but had to do without until I could afford them. The point is put the word out when you have a need. You might be surprised to find someone you know has that item and is willing to give it to you or sell it very cheaply.

- Go through all your possessions and have a rummage sale to get rid of your clutter and make some extra cash. Most american households are cluttered with stuff that  we don’t use. A good rule to follow: if you haven’t used it in 6 months or more, get rid of it, unless you have a strong emotional attachment.

We all know that paring down expenses is usually not much fun. It is up to you to keep a positive attitude and try to make it fun. See how far you can stretch your dollar. Find new places you can buy the items you need to have at a cheaper price.

If you are new to this frugality business, explore stores you have never been in before. The “dollar stores” that are all over the country actually have a lot of very good, useful products you can use right in your own home. In my area we have Family Dollar, Dollar General and Dollar Tree stores. I frequent these stores on a regular basis. Remember to compare prices at all the stores you shop in, never assume one store has the best price.

Rent movies and video games instead of buying them.

Use your local library! Most libraries rent not just books but movies and cd’s if not for free, then extremely cheaply. One library not far away from me rents them for 25 cents each and you keep them for 7 days. Libraries have a much larger selection now compared to a few years ago.

Shop at rummage sales. I find this great fun. You never know what you will find. Remember: buy something because you need it, not because you want it.

When my family has get togethers, we make them pot luck. We all bring a dish to pass and the person who is hosting provides the main dish. You get a much larger variety of food, one person does not have to do all the work and everyone saves money.

Combine all your errands into one trip and make a route that enables you to go everywhere you need to without wasting gas by going back and forth across town. This will save you gas money, wear and tear on your car, reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the air causing pollution and will save you time. Who couldn’t use a little more time and money?

It’s worth it to buy the more expensive energy efficient light bulbs. If money is short buy one or two every couple of weeks, or one or two a month and start replacing the lightbulbs that you use most frequently. These will save up to 30% on your power and light bill. I have made the switch and the energy efficient bulbs cast light just like the old ones.

Look for free or cheap entertainment. One thing we do in my household is rent movies from the library, pop some popcorn ( I do it the “old fashioned” way on the stove. Pour enough oil in bottom of pan just to cover, power in a cup of popcorn-the kind sold by the bag, not microwave. Cover with a lid and turn the heat up to medium/high. Listen for the pops to slow down to a few seconds between each pop and turn burner off. You don’t want to burn the popcorn. Salt to taste. I put a couple of tablespoons of butter right in with the oil for a buttery flavor), and hang out with the family. We play cards and board games. Go to the park and play games with the kids. Go for a walk in nature. There are tons of nature trails or even some parks have hiking trails. Check out your local newspaper for upcoming events.

Message me with your tips and hints on how you save money in the comments section on the front page!

Everyone wants to save money these days, however many people do not know where to start. Here are some tips to get you started on  your own frugal path.

1. Write down EVERY expense, even that pack of gun at the gas station. Do this for a 2 to 4 week period, then look at all your expenses and evaluate where you are spending your money. Be honest, nobody will see this except you.  When I began doing this I bought a small notebook and kept it in my purse. You will be able to see all the little ways your money is leaking out of your wallet and where you need to “tweak” your spending.

2. Either on paper or on your computer make a list of all your expenses. It is helpful to make two categories: one for bills/expenses you have to pay each month and the ones you do not. Write down everything. If you smoke, write down what you spend each month for cigarettes. Be sure to list everything so there are no surprise expenditures that will ruin your spending plan you will make later. Next you need to calculate your monthly income from all sources. This could include child support or any sporadic payments. Add them up and get your total montly income. I used the amount after taxes, simply because then I knew how much I had in my pocket to spend. Subtract your expenses from your income and this amount is what you have to spend each month.

3. If you have any bad debt, i.e. anything other than a mortgage/rent, insurance; make a list of these debts. This will enable you to know exactly how far in debt you are. This step can be emotionally painful, but be honest. Sugar coating reality only brings on more debt.

4. The money you have left after you pay your expenses needs to be put to good use. Allocate some for savings and some to pay off your debt ( if you have any. If you don’t - CONGRATULATIONS! - you are one of the lucky few these days).

5. In order to live we need shelter, food, power, water, clothing. Our kids needs clothing and food, they have medical and school expenses. We need money for transportation, whether it be our own vehicle or public transportation, to get to work or wherever it is you go. Now is the time to look at all your expenses with a painfully truthful eye. You need to pair down your spending to create more savings so you can pay off debt, store money away for the future; whatever is it that is important for you and your family. Look at your spending habits and decide what you absolutely have to have and what you can live without. Remember, it will take some sacrifice on your part. Do you need those trips to the local coffee house or can you make a pot at home yourself? Do you really need to eat out or can you cook at home for a cheaper, healthier meal? If you already have a closet or dresser full of clothes, odds are you don’t need anymore. Do you need to have every cable channel available or could you shave some services off your cable bill to save money?

- check out the mark downs section of your grocery store. These are often filled with great deals that will save you serious dough on your food budget. Some items are over stocks or are close to expiring. Make sure if food items are about to expire they can be frozen or used immediately.

- Look at the store’s flyer for their current deals and sales. Try to incorporate the good deals into your shopping list and menu. Make sure to buy only items that you will use. It isn’t a good deal if it does not get used

- If you clip coupons make sure they are for goods you will purchase anyway. Do not be afraid to try a different product if you find a really good coupon or sale price. Most of the time change is a good thing.

- Try store brands. Most store brands taste just as good as the name brand and in some cases, better. If you are unsure if you will like a product, just buy one and try it. If you don’t like you do not have to buy it again.

- Avoid processed, packaged and otherwise low nutrition foods. While items like Hamburger Helper can be bought relatively cheaply, they have very little nutritional value, are over packaged, over processed and basically a drain on your budget. Do an internet search for do it yourself meals and make them from scratch at home. You will save big on your food budget this way. You can control the ingredients used, if you use natural, organic or “regular” ingredients. This also allows you to taylor the meal to your families likes and dislikes.  Throwing some pasta, a binder like cream of mushroom soup, meat and veggies in a pot and cooking it takes about 15 minutes with 5 to 10  minutes of preparation time depending on how organized your kitchen is. This also allows you to get creative and try new ingedients, use up leftovers and make extra for another day. Homemade food almost always, I have found in my household,  has leftovers.

- Stick to the perimeter of the grocery store. This is usually where they have the least processed and packaged foods located. The more “whole” a food is, the better that food is for you and your family. A potato in its natural form has much more nutrition than a box of mashed potato flakes. Just check out the label on the box for proof.

- Prepare as much of the food you and your family eats from scratch as possible.  Not everyone has time to bake batches of homemade bread or whip up a 5 course meal. Do what you can. Make a big pot of homemade soup and freeze the leftovers for another busy day. Casseroles are an easy way to use up leftovers and use ingedients you have on hand. I have weekends off and spend a chunk of time baking and cooking meals from scratch and freezing them to eat during the week  when I am to busy with school, work, and running my son around to have alot of time to spend in the kitchen. When that chunk of time is depends on what else I have going on that weekend. I enjoy cooking so it doesn’t take me long and I have fun getting creative. Even if you only make and store a few things, that is better than hitting the drive through or buying convenience foods at the store.

Meat is the most expensive buy in the grocery store. It comprises a large portion of your food budget. We all are interested in ways to reduce our expenditure for groceries, so naturally we should look at the meat department.

I have read articles that suggest buying meat with no bones, you get more meat for your money. I have also read articles suggesting to buy them with the bone because it is not only much cheaper, but you can use the bones to make soup stock. Some bones you can also give to your dog to chew. This would mainly be beef bones as chicken and pork bones splinter and could get caught in their throats and they could choke. I lean more towards buying meat with bones. It it cheaper per pound and I make my own stock for use in soups and stews. If I want a piece of meat boneless, I remove the bone myself with little effort. This is a very easy way to save some money in the meat department.

Obviously there are cheaper cuts of meat. Ground beef and chicken is cheaper than steak and prime rib. However, I do buy steak, if the price and the size of the steak is right. Steaks and roasts have many opportunities for other uses. When I buy a roast, I buy a cheaper cut and cook it in my crock pot. Let it cook all day along with your favorite spices and vegetables and you have a very tasty meal. You will probably have leftovers that can be used in a wide variety of recipes. I cut my own meat into smaller pieces for use in soups, stews, casseroles, fajitas, etc. Pay attention to the prices on all cuts of meat. I have sometimes found it is cheaper to buy already cut up stew meat rather than a larger steak. Always compare prices.

Some grocery stores have a section for marked down meats. A couple in my town have these, however this is a tip that most people are savvy to now and I rarely find good buys in these locations. Ask the meat department manager to find out when they put their marked down meats in that section for purchase and check out the marked down offerings then.

Always consider the amount of meals you can get from a package of meat. You can get more meals from a package of chicken leg quarters compared to a 4 or 5 piece package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, for less money.

Avoid meats that have to much fat attached to them. This fat is very bad for you if left on your meat, and will significantly reduce the amount of usable meat purchased if removed.

Keep an eye out for coupns or in store deals that offer money off a meat purchase if you purchase another product in addition to the meat purchased. If it is a product you were going to buy anyway, it is a good deal. Especially if you have an additional coupon for that item.

Our food budget is one of the most flexible of all our expenses. We all need to eat and be healthy, but what we choose to buy for ourselves and our families have a huge impact on our food budget. We all need to explore all of our food options. Do not assume that the way you have always done your shopping is the best way. You will probably be pleasantly surprised.

The first thing I did when I wanted to lower my food bill was to think about the meals we ate the most, what I had on hand already and made a grocery list. Lists are invaluable tools. What you need is at your fingertips, you won’t forget anything and you can look at all your options for the items you need.

Next I looked at the sales flyers that I had for my local grocery stores. That way I could see what was on sale and if anything on my list was on sale.

To recap, I live in southern wisconsin. We have discount grocery stores here like Aldi and Save-a-lot. These grocery stores are much cheaper than your typical grocery store. They do not carry  much of a selection. It is typically their store brand and a few featured name brand items. I have found that in most cases their brands are just as tasty as the name brand, for at least half the price! An example would be their brand of canned vegetables sells for 29 cents to 59 cents depending on the vegetable. Have you checked out grocery store prices for a can of peas lately?

Our bodies need fruits and vegetables to be healthy. We need the vitamins and minerals that they provide. However, fresh produce can have a daunting price tag. I usually buy fresh bananas, apples, potatoes, onions, lettuce and cabbage because in my area those are always inexpensive. I love fresh produce. I have an affinity for organic and all natural as well and buy those products as I can afford them. However they are expensive and being on a limited income and being a single mom I cannot afford a 100 % organic diet.  So check out what is on sale at your local grocery stores in their produce sections.

The next best thing is frozen fruits and vegetables. They have a higher vitamin content than canned because there is less processing. They are also much less expensive than fresh produce. There is a wide variety available in the frozen foods section. Check it out. 

Buy fresh produce according to what is in season. If  you are trying to buy strawberries in january your going to pay more for them. Stick to what is in season.

Buy local produce. If you buy locally grown food you know it is fresh when it reaches your table.  Your food will have more vitamins and minerals, which will give you the most for your money and fuel your body efficiently.

As we all face job losses, higher taxes and rising fuel costs for vehicle and home, most of us are looking for ways to cut expenses. We all have to pay for power and light usage, however there are ways to save in this area of our budget. 

Warm weather is here! Before you turn on your a/c try these tips. Maybe you will have more days a/c free, which will not only lower your energy bill, but reduce your carbon footprint, i.e. the impact you personally have on our fragile and failing environment

Some money saving ideas:

- During the summer keep your shades/blinds at least halfway closed during the hottest part of the day, usually between 10 am and 7 pm in most areas of the country. I like to keep  mine about 3/4ths closed with the windows open to allow the breeze to come into the house. At night keep as  many windows open as possible to allow the cool night air inside. If you have ground floor windows that have easy access for break-ins take that into consideration, of course. I would not want anyone to be unsafe. If you have 2 floors to your home, you could close the downstairs windows and leave the upstairs windows open, for example.

- Use fans in your home instead of the air conditioner or central air. This will not only cool your home but also uses much less electricity (saving money on your bill) and does not emit any gasses or use chemicals that damage our ozone layer.

- I discovered this trick last summer and was surprised to find it actually worked in my apartment. Fill a medium sized container, say a reused coffee can ( plastic or metal will work) and put in the freezer. When frozen set it in front of your fan. If you can find a way to elevate the frozen container to about the middle of the fan it will work best. If you are worried about the condensation on the outside of the container set on a plate or a towel. The air passes around the frozen container, reducing the air temperature and cooling that room more. It worked in my upstairs apartment. The rooms I used this idea in felt 5 degrees cooler.

- Keep lights off and as many appliances as possible OFF during the day. Lights and anything turned on, i.e. computers, coffee pots, televisions, etc, create heat. This heat is dispursed into your home which raises temperatures and makes you more uncomfortable.

- Don’t run your oven during the day in warm weather if you don’t have to. My crock pot is my best kitchen friend in warm weather. A practice that has been followed by all members of my family since my great-grandmother is to do any necessary baking either in the early morning or at night after the sun goes down. I usually do mine first thing in the morning ( before 7 am central time) or at night ( after 8 pm). This also goes for the stove top. Between my crock pot, microwave and bread machine (the microwave was given to me and the bread machine was a gift), I rarely use my stove at all in the summer. Using a grill is also an option for your main meals. I am also exploring the concept of a solar oven. I will do a piece on that sometime in the future.

- Go outside and sit in the shade. Bring a book, toys for the kids, plenty of fluids and enjoy the outdoors! In my state of Wisconsin in the summertime, inside is much hotter than outside.

- Take a cool shower before bed. This will lower your body temperature. The cool shower and a fan blowing around your bedroom ( with the window open if possible) is usually condusive to a good night’s sleep.

I encourage anyone to email me a tip or idea on saving money on energy costs. I welcome the knowledge! I will post your idea here along with your name. If you prefer to remain anonymous, just put anonymous at the end of your tip or idea.